Electrical connectors are known which receive in terminal receiving cavities thereof one or more electrical conductors having terminals terminated on ends thereof, which terminals electrically engage mating terminals in a corresponding electrical connector. Wire seals are known which are disposed around each electrical conductor at the rearward end of the connector to provide a sealing engagement between the conductor and the connector housing. Each wire seal is disposed in an enlarged rearward section of a terminal-receiving cavity of the connector housing, has a rearward portion in interference fit with the sidewalls of the rearward cavity section, and also has a forward portion which engages the conductor in interference fit therearound, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,866.
It is desirable to provide a wire seal which engages a conductor at two or more locations for improved sealing, thus providing redundant sealing to minimize the possibility of improper sealing due to the possible tearing of the wire seal at one of the locations during insertion of a terminated conductor therethrough.
It is also desirable to provide the several locations for sealing engagement with a conductor axially proximate to the locations of sealing engagement of the wire seals with the sidewalls of the rearward cavity section of the housing, but radially separated therefrom such that force is substantially not transmitted by the wire seal portion engaging the conductor to the wire seal portion engaging the cavity sidewalls.